Vehicle



T. J. cox.

VEHICLE.

(Application filed Aug. 11 1898. (No Model.)

FIG.1.-

Patented Dec. 6, 1898.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Hal

W/TNESSES 1" i AWM% MMM INVENTOR No. 6l5 ,53l. Patented Dec. 6, I898.

T. J. COX.

VEHICLE.

IApplication filed Aug. 11, 1898.) No Mm'e: 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

.Facha M 4i 'FIG.6.

f3 WITNESSES: ,2; 74' f0 INVENTOH W Om fly 1 4 J/ By X40 KW A TTORNEYS THE nor-ms PETERS c0. FHOYQLITNQ, WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. COX, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,531, dated December 6, 1898.

7' 7 Application filed August 11,1898. Serial No. 688,332. (No model.) 7

T0 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. Cox, of Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented anew and Improved Vehicle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a vehicle provided with a wheeled frame wherein the horse stands and to which the horse is hitched, the frame being provided with removably-situated structures forming either a coach, a bugg or a Wagon.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the claims define the actual scope of the invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the invention on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, showing it adapted as a coach. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, with parts in section. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the folding ladder that may be used in connection with my invention. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the invention adapted as a light Wagon. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the invention adapted as a buggy; and Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the same, with parts in section, as in Fig. 3.

The wheeled frame of the invention has two longitudinal side bars 8, to the front ends of which are rigidly joined the respective perpendicular standards 9 and to the rear portions of which are rigidly joined the respective perpendicular standards 10. The

standards 9 extend from the bars 8 upward, and the standards 10 project upward from the bars 8 to the same height as that of the standards 9 and also project downward below the standards 8 and carry rigidly at their lower extremities the rear axle 11 of the vehicle and which carries the rear wheels 12. Fixed rigidly to the middle of the axle 11 is an upwardly and forwardly exten ding tongue 14, to which the whiflletree 15 is attached. This tongue 14 also carries a footboard 16, on which may rest the feet of the person guiding the horse.

The standards 9 are provided each at its lower end with a horizontally-disposed and laterally-outrunning casing 17, which casings are provided with slots 18, running longitudinally thereof. The front wheels 19 of the vehicle are carried each in a fork 20, the upper portions of which are respectively provided with perpendicular spindles 21, which pass through the slots 18 of the corresponding casings 17 and are movable in the slots. Fixed to each spindle 21 and situated within the casings 17 is an arm 22, which arms move with the forks laterally with reference to the vehicle and are also capable of swinging with the turning of the forks 20 on the center of the spindles 21. The arms 22 project inwardly past the standards 9 and are provided with oppositely-disposed slots 23, which slots respectively receive pins 24, held rigidly in the inner portions of the casings 17.

Fig. 3 best illustrates the relative dispositionof the slots 23 and pins 24. Now should the frame be slued laterally at its front end in either direction the movement of the pins 24 in the slots 23 will cause the arms 22 to spring on the centers of the spindles 21, thus sluing the front wheels 19 to one side or the other and causing the vehicle-frame to effect a turn in the direction of its movement. The opposite disposition of the slots 23 causes the wheels 19 to be turned in unison with each other. Thus as the horse presses the frame to the right (see Figs. 1 and 3) the righthand pin 24, moving toward the pin 24 in the slot 23 of the corresponding arm at, will throw the right-hand wheel 19 to the position shown in Fig. 1, and the left-hand pin 24, moving outwardly in the slot 23 of the corresponding arm 22, will throw the left-hand wheel 19 in a corresponding mannerthatis to say, to the position shown in Fig. 1and thus the vehicle will be turned to the right.

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show the invention adapted as a coach, in which case the body 25 of the coach is provided adjacent to each side and near each end with sockets 26, located on the bottom of the body and respectively receiving the upper ends of the standards 9 and 10, thus supporting the body 25 on the frame. The body is further supported by two intermediate standards 27, the lower ends of which are removably fitted in sockets 28, held on the bars 8, and the upper ends of which are removably fitted in sockets 29, held on the bottom of the body of the coach. The body 25 is provided on its top with seats for the occupants of the coach, and the driver of the coach is to be carried on a seat 31, mounted on the rear extremities of the bars 8 and braced against the axle by downwardly and forwardly running bars 32. The horse is harnessed to the whiftletree 15 and also is hitched by means of straps 33, extending from the horses collar, to sleeves 34, sliding on the standards 9. By means of these straps 33 and sleeves or collars 34 the horse in turning under the influence of the reins will push the frame to the right or to the left, and thus slue the front wheels 19, as previously described. Safety or check reins 35 may be rove through rings 36, carried by the body portion 25 of the coach, such checkreins bein g run forwardly to the head of the horse and rearwardly to a point over the seat-31 and provided with a suitable hand-grasp. V

For the purposeof conveniently mounting to thebody portion of the coach a folding ladder, such as shown in Fig. 4, may be provided. This ladder consists in two sections 37, joined by hinges 38, the upper section being provided with hooks 39 for engagement with the top of the body portion 25, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. This ladder, being foldable, may be conveniently stored on the coach and used from time to time, according to the exigencies of the occasion.

Fig. 5, showing the invention adapted as a light wagon, illustrates an arrangement in which the seat 31 of the coach is substituted by a wagon-body 40, braced against the axle by two downwardly and forwardly extending bars 41, only one of which is shown in Fig. 5. In this arrangement the intermediate standards 27 are dispensed with and the upper ends of the standards 9 are rigidly braced against each other by a transverse bar 42. The upper ends of the standards 10 carry the wagon-top 43, which is provided with sockets 44, respectively receiving the upper ends of said standards. The top 43 is further secured by two braces 45, running downward to the body of the wagon, only one of which braces is shown in Fig. 5. The checkreins 35 are rove through rings 36, attached to the top 43 of the wagon. These checkreins are also connected to the bar 42.

Figs. 6 and 7, illustrating the invention in the form of a buggy, show an arrangement in which the intermediate standards 27 are omitted and the standards 9 are connected with each other by the bar 42. A buggy-top 46 is mounted on the standards 10 and braced against the seat 31 by means of verticallyextending bars 47, only one of which is shown in the drawings. The checkreins 35 are rovethrough rings 36 and 36, attached to the top 46 of the buggy.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a vehicle, the combination of a frame comprising side bars disposed one on each side of the horse, and perpendicular bars rigidly attached to the side bars, an axle held by the rear perpendicular bars, rear wheels carried on said axle, forks mounted to turn at the front perpendicular bars, means in connection with said forks, for turning them as pressure is applied laterally from the frame, front wheels carried by the forks, and a seat on the frame.

2. In a vehicle, the combination of a frame having horizontal side bars, a front standard mounted at the forward end of each side bar, and a rear standard mounted at the rear portion of each side bar, the rear standards being projected below the side bars, a rear axle held rigidly by the lowerextremities of the rear standards, wheels mounted on the rear axle, forks mounted to turn at the lower portions of the front standards, means in connection with said forks for turning the forks as pressure is applied laterally from the frame, and front wheels carried by the forks.

3. A vehicle having a frame, comprising two longitudinal side bars joined rigidly to each other, and adapted to receive the horse between them, rear wheels for supporting the rear portion of the frame, a seat mounted adjacent to the rear wheels to carry the driver of the vehicle, two forks mounted at the front of the frame, and front wheels respectively mounted in the forks, the forks being adapted to turn so as to sine the wheels with the turning of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle having a frame adapted to inclose the horse, rear wheels for the frame, front wheels for the frame, and means for attaching the front wheels to the frame so that the wheels will be slued as the horse presses against the one side or the other of the frame, in the act of turning the vehicle.

5. A vehicle having a frame formed of longitudinal side bars, standards rising from the side bars, a body supported on the standards and serving rigidly to connect the same and the side bars, wheels supporting the rear of the frame, front wheels for the frame, and means for joining the front wheels to the frame so that the front wheels will be slued as the frame is pressed to the one side or the other in the act of turning the vehicle.

THOMAS J. COX. Witnesses:

THOMAS T. ROCHE, JOEL COHEN. 

